Opinions

It’s time to demilitarize the police

As America gathers itself from the tragic shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, public outrage at the police’s use of force during and after the incident has reached a boiling point, and understandably so. Although many demonstrators have peacefully protested Brown’s heartbreaking death, other renegades have hijacked the cause and looted stores, clashed with police and even fired rounds at other civilians; thus, there is a legitimate role for the police to restore the peace in this situation.

However, as Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said earlier this week in the L.A. Times, “there should be a difference between a police response and a military response.” After viewing countless images of police sitting atop armored vehicles while spraying tear gas and shooting rubber bullets at peaceful demonstrators, one cannot help but notice the uncanny resemblance between the photos of police actions in Ferguson and America’s military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Indeed, many photos of Ferguson show officers wearing helmets, camouflage and Kevlar vests while wielding military-grade assault rifles, shotguns and even automatic weapons. What’s even more shocking is another photo that shows police in riot-gear riding on an armored, mine-resistant vehicle. One can only guess why on Earth the use of a mine-resistant vehicle by police in America would ever be warranted.

The alarming level of police militarization in Ferguson is not a local phenomenon. It is a part of a broader problem which pervades and blemishes the entire nation’s criminal justice system; as such, the conclusions we draw about how to move forward past this tragedy must be equally as broad and sweeping.

Ever since the catastrophic events of 9/11, the federal government has increasingly allocated military equipment to local law enforcement in an effort to bolster police readiness in case of another attack. Through the use of grant programs and transfers from the military, local governments across the nation have been able to construct what equates to small armies- all in the name of fighting the war on drugs and terrorism. Although the rising militarization of our country’s police force has, hitherto, remained largely unnoticed, the events in Ferguson have brought this issue to the forefront of the national political discourse.

In light of these developments, it is no wonder why so many Americans are outraged at the shocking scenes which are emerging from Ferguson. The images of police resembling U.S. combat forces are indicative of a much wider problem, in which local law enforcement agencies possess military equipment more suitable for a warzone than suburban America. The L.A. Times reports that the Pentagon has provided $5.1 billion in surplus military equipment to law enforcement agencies since 1995.

Such weapons don’t seem to fit law enforcement’s mission of “protect and serve;” rather, the alarming amount of military equipment in the hands of law enforcement only serve to alienate the public and make them feel like they are being targeted by police. Moreover, given the undeniably racist undercurrents of America’s criminal justice system, African-Americans in particular will continue to feel under attack by their own police departments.

Thankfully, President Obama is ordering a review of the federal programs that allow law enforcement agencies to buy weapons and equipment from the military. This review will determine whether the programs are appropriate for local law enforcement; additionally, it will determine whether police are receiving adequate training in order to operate the military-grade equipment. “There is a big difference between our military and our local law enforcement, and we don’t want those lines blurred,” said Obama last week in a news conference with reporters. “That would be contrary to our traditions.”

The militarization of our law enforcement is fundamentally eroding the trust that Americans place in their local police. Although the scenes emanating from Ferguson, Missouri are deeply alarming in and of themselves, they are indicative of a national problem which needs to be urgently addressed. Obama’s plan to review the federal government’s distribution of military equipment to police departments is a much-needed step; however, there must be reforms which follow that substantively chip away at the militarization of our nation’s law enforcement agencies.

Let us all continue to pray for Michael Brown’s family, police and the citizens of Ferguson.

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